sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'hold-up' to sports betting crackdown
1 November 2018
Sports minister Tracey Crouch has actually resigned over "hold-ups" to a crackdown on optimal stakes for fixed-odds wagering machines.
Chancellor Philip Hammond stated in Monday's Budget that the cut in stakes from ₤ 100 to ₤ 2 would enter force in October 2019.
Ms Crouch stated pressing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of issue bettors.
She tweeted: "Politicians reoccur but concepts stick with us permanently."
Prime Minister Theresa May said she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had resigned however there had been "no delay in advancing this essential measure".
High stakes for fixed-odds wagering devices
' I lost ₤ 250,000 on sports betting machines'
sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2
The federal government has actually rejected Labour declares that MPs had actually been led to think the cut would enter force at the start of the next tax year, in April 2019. They recommended the cut had actually been meant to be introduced in April 2020.
But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, execution of these modifications are now being postponed till October 2019 due to dedications made by others to those with signed up interests.
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End of twitter post by Tracey Crouch
"From the time of the statement to reduce stakes and its execution, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these makers.
"In addition, 2 people will unfortunately take their lives every day due to gambling-related issues and, for that reason as much as any other, I think this hold-up is unjustifiable."
She included: "It is a truth of federal government that ministers must adhere to cumulative responsibility and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made versus your wishes associating with your own portfolio."
'God bless'
Among those praising her on social media, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby tweeted, external that she was "principled and bold" adding: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."
Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "deserves huge credit not simply for her project but for sticking up for her principles".
Fixed-odds sports betting terminals generate ₤ 1.8 bn in profits a year for the sports betting market, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the federal government.
Currently, individuals can bet as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment video games such as roulette. Anti-gambling advocates say the makers let gamers lose cash too rapidly, resulting in addiction and social, mental and monetary problems.
But bookies have alerted the cut in stakes could result in countless outlets closing.
In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the government had actually listened to those who wanted the changes to come into effect sooner than April 2020 and "had actually agreed that the changes must be in place within the year - by October 2019".
In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor said the change to fixed-odds stakes would enter into force next October at the very same time as changes to responsibility charged on sports betting firms based abroad but operating in the UK.
The government says co-ordinating the date of the 2 modifications would imply the federal government would not be hit by a fall in tax earnings.
Who is Tracey Crouch?
The 43-year-old MP has represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, given that 2010
She was promoted to the front bench as sports betting minister in 2015
She is understood for her opposition to fox searching and her love of football - she is a certified FA coach
Grammar school educated at Folkestone School for Girls, she went on to get a degree in law and politics from Hull University
She had actually worked for different Tory MPs, including Michael Howard and David Davis before standing for election
She had her very first kid in 2016 and is thought to have been the first Tory minister to take maternity leave
But in the Commons on Thursday, Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson implicated the federal government of "capitulating to the sports betting market".
He praised Ms Crouch's "courageous and principled decision" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "need to be thoroughly embarrassed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, earnings over public health and greed over excellent".
MPs from all sides of your house participated in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it should be discussed as part of the Finance Bill later this month.
Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill
He told the BBC: "There are a lot of people whose lives have actually been damaged by this addiction ... We require to do this very quickly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming market will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this delay. That's not best."
Labour has actually informed the BBC that they will put down a change to the Finance Bill to attempt and bring in the changes next April.
